Successful Stoners: Lelen Ruete - How A Fashion Photographer Fell In Love With Cannabis

This special feature was made possible thanks to the Gabo Foundation and the Fund for Research and New Narratives on Drugs. You can read the original in Spanish on El Planteo.

Those who have had access to a legal cannabis cultivation operation have surely suffered from the Stendhal syndrome, overwhelmed by the natural beauty of hundreds of plants growing simultaneously, moving to and fro with the wind that blows between their leaves. But for a photographer like Lelen Ruete, it meant even more. It was an epiphany. “I came from working in the fashion world, shooting editorials and doing commercial work. I smoked joints like any other person, but I didn't have a specific relationship with marijuana until I was invited to the Cannabis Punta Collective,” says Lelen. “There were plants with unique profiles that needed to be portrayed.” That day a new visual world opened up to what would result in a new passion, redefining her approach to life.

“I started taking photos of different varieties of cannabis; I spent whole days analyzing each part that composed them. I soon knew how to tell one from the other depending on how they looked,” says Lelen. “I got to know them up close and found my favorites: the 24K, the Chocolope, and the Sour Diesel. Each plant surprised me with streaks of purple, orange, and a broad spectrum from dark green to light green.” Her photos paint surreal landscapes that reflect this wide variety of colors and textures; even if one is against cannabis, it’s impossible to deny the botanical beauty the images capture. 

The professionalism of her work is evident in each species captured, but there was a time when Lelen doubted her career as a photographer. “I had my first camera when I was seven years old; I used to do experiments to understand how it worked, but I never saw it as a profession. I decided to study advertising, but I was bored and I took a photography course to distract myself,” says Lelen. "My mother said I had talent and encouraged me to dedicate my energy to it." Encouraged to explore this lifestyle, Lelen contacted the newspaper La Nación and asked for a meeting to show her portfolio. “They showed me photos of reporters covering protests and told me they didn't see me in those circles. I was 17 years old and I was totally disheartened after that meeting.”

Fortunately, life would make sure he didn't give up. “One day I went to my father's office and the fashion photographer Javi Álvarez was there. I showed him some pictures and he liked them. He invited me to work together and introduced me to all her friends and to the artistic community of Buenos Aires. He had a lot of faith in me”. Lelen learned to use the high-end lenses and lighting equipment that would come in handy years later. “Being able to understand light and handle it in your own way is what gives depth, texture, and volume to photos. Natural light also brings out the biological characteristics of the plants; I choose them depending on what I want to immortalize. But I always let myself be surprised—not only by the lighting but also by the plants. Those of indoor versus outdoor cultivation; they’re like the bodybuilder and the fit surfer. Some more controlled, others wilder. I like them all; the beauty is in the variety.”

Lelen Ruete

Inevitably, Lelen amassed so many contacts and knowledge that further involvement in the Uruguayan industry would follow naturally. In 2016, the Kangaroo Cup was born, an event founded by Diego Guigou and Emiliano Fernandez, where representatives of the national cannabis culture come together to exhibit their work and the fruit of their crops, seeking to win the award for the best flower, the best extraction with solvent, and the best rosin hash, among other prizes. Lelen began participating as a photographer in 2018, and since 2019 she has joined the team as an organizer. “There is a lot of knowledge in Uruguay. I see the best flowers in the country in the Cup and they really impress me,” says Lelen. “There are people who take care of a couple of plants specifically to participate. Winning the trophy helps clubs raise their status; growers take it very seriously.” 

Although she does not participate directly as a jury, Lelen has access to each of the flowers, detailing their visual and organoleptic properties through her camera. “It’s an opportunity to learn about the system of a unique living being; I love seeing how they react to different elements—including how we relate to them,” continues Lelen, underscoring the fact that, as every biophilic person can attest, communicating with plants is part of the connection process. “I talk and caress them while I take the pictures. Not only to cannabis but to all kinds of plants. For sure plants feel. I perceive it in the vibration. They are more evolved than us.”

More often than not, Lelen is looking for ways to connect her two fashion passions with cannabis. Taking photos of plants has become a source of employment and at the same time a tool for expression. Sometimes with unexpected help, as was the case with her printing lab: the owners convinced her to put her images on silk scarves, resulting in an elegant and trendy product, while at the same time becoming a sort of banner for the local movement. Lelen’s scarves are a type of glamorous activism that also has a place in the reform of public perceptions and policies. “My photos seek to change the aesthetics of cannabis and destigmatize the consumer. They are a way of doing activism, a way of emphasizing that the plant has been an essential part of our Latin American history, of our daily lives,” says Lelen. “I would like to do a campaign in which the models are smoking; I wish it was in Vogue. It would be a way of recognizing cannabis for what it is; a plant full of freedom and diversity.” 

A few years ago, if someone had asked Lelen what she did in life and her answer had been 'taking cannabis photos', it would most likely have caused some discomfort. Today it could be classified as the dream job of many. And her career shows that success comes when you tune in to your intuition and follow your passion. “More than anything, I think being able to manage our time is what makes us successful. I have the flexibility to achieve what I set out to do without having to adhere to the standards of others. I am in an amazing place in my life; I move fluidly between family and work, devoting my energy to both without having to sacrifice anything.” It will only be a matter of time before one of the big fashion houses calls on Lelen to collaborate on an editorial; in the meantime, she will continue to reinterpret cannabis culture through creativity—with the freedom of doing it at her own pace.

Illustration by @chyataller